The present invention generally relates to a vacuum cleaner housing having a coarse separator into which dust laden air is drawn by means of a vacuum source from a nozzle connected to the vacuum cleaner, a cyclone with a cyclone chamber arranged after the coarse separator as seen in the flow direction, and a collecting container for particles separated by the cyclone.
Vacuum cleaners of the type mentioned above are previously known, see for instance U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,745. In these vacuum cleaners the lower part of the coarse separator and the cyclone each constitute a collecting container that can be emptied via an opening in each container. The openings are covered by a common lid. A disadvantage with this arrangement is that it is difficult to clean the coarse separator, the cyclone and the other air channels unless extensive disassembly is carried out. Disassembly of the machine is dirty and unhygienic.
It is also previously known, see GB 2321181, in a similar arrangement to empty the two integrated collecting containers by removing the container part from the vacuum cleaner and turning the container part up-side-down, which means that a grating covering the coarse separator is opened and that the contents of the cyclone falls out through a separate emptying opening. The liner may also be manually removed from the cyclone before the container is turned right-side-up. With this arrangement it is also cumbersome and unhygienic to empty and clean the containers.
It is also previously known in vacuum cleaners having two concentric cyclones that are connected in series, see for instance EP 636338, to use an arrangement having two containers being separated by means of a liner that is manually removed during emptying. Also, in this case, an extensive unhygienic disassembly operation is required in order to clean the two cyclones and the gratings and container walls belonging to them.
The present invention is directed toward an emptying system for a cyclone vacuum cleaner in which the emptying is simplified and more hygienic to undertake than in previously-known systems. The present invention is further directed toward a cyclone vacuum cleaner wherein all the parts of the cyclone system are uncovered during emptying, thereby rendering all the internal surfaces of the cyclone, the container and the coarse separator accessible for cleaning.